South Australian police are investigating a graphic assault caught on camera at a business in Adelaide’s Chinatown district, in which a young woman was attacked by a man in front of shocked customers.
Key points:
- The video shows a young woman being hit in the face, then kicked to the ground
- Police say the woman, a 22-year-old from Rose Park, was treated by paramedics
- The footage has prompted reactions of shock and outrage on social media
Video of the incident inside the cafe shows a verbal dispute between a man and the woman, before which another man steps in and strikes the woman across the face.
A fight then breaks out in the shop, in which the same young woman is forcefully kicked to the ground by the same man.
As a result she hits her head on a table.
A woman who rushes to her defence is thrown to the ground, falling on top of the other victim.
The video shows fearful customers in the cafe picking up their children and taking them out of harm’s way.
The footage has been shared extensively on social media, and has prompted reactions of outrage and shock.
One user described it as “absolutely revolting” while another said it was “terrible behaviour”.
SA Greens MP Tammy Franks, who has shared the video online, also condemned the man’s actions.
“I’m looking at the video and it’s horrifying, and that level of violence is something that certainly should see criminal charges pursued,” she told ABC Radio Adelaide.
SA Police told the ABC it had launched an investigation, and confirmed police were called to the business at 9:25pm on Friday.
“Police are investigating an assault in Adelaide last week,” police said in a statement.
“Upon police arrival, the suspect had left the scene.”
The ABC has contacted the business involved for comment.
Victim ‘scared about being blacklisted’
A translation of the altercation suggests the initial confrontation related to allegations of underpayment, which were denied.
“You don’t want to pay my wage, right?” the woman states at the start of the video.
Say Leng Kapsis is the founder of Fair Go SA, an organisation that provides advice to workers — mainly Chinese exchange students — about their legal rights.
She has spoken to the woman in the video, and described her as “terrified”.
“She is very scared about being blacklisted by other employers in Chinatown,” she said.
“She still has two years of study left in Adelaide and she’s worried she won’t be able to get another job now.”
Another employee of the same business who was spoken to by ABC Radio Adelaide said he had watched the video, and felt “angry”.
Police have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.